One piece vacuum cap



Jan. 19, 1932. c. HAMMER ONE-PIECE VACUUM CAP Filed Aug. 7, 1928 ,k114111111311 g i Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITED STATESVPATENTY OFFICE lHAMHEROF HOLLIS COURT BOULEVARD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO ANCHOR CAP & CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF LONG ISLAND CITY,NEW YORK, A'CORPOBATION OF NEW YORK ONE PIECE VACUUM CAB Applicationfiled August 7,

The present invention relates to closures or caps for containers, suchas glass containers, and more particularly to caps adapted to be usedwhen such containers are sealed hot or with a partial vacuum therein.

is this material, in view of the fact that the cap top had a diameterequal to the skirt and consequently projected beyond the sealing surfaceof the container a suflicient distance to permit the skirt to overlapthethreads which usually extend out from the neck of the container aboutseventy-nine thousandths (79/1000) of an inch. 'Consequently, when thecomposition was flowed into the cap, it also filled this waste spacebetween the outer wall of the neck and the skirt and had no effect inthe sealing of the container, and asthis compo-material is expensive, itconseuently required considerably more compo t an is necessary toproperly seal the container, so that in the use of millions of caps perday, this waste of compo amounts to considerable. The present inventionaims .not only to provide a cap which will reduce toa minimum the amountof compo necessary to properly seal the cap, but also to provide a capwhich needs only a slit for the purpose of releasing the vacuum andvwhich slit is so located that theiinstrument to be projectedtherethrough will be gu'ided between the runderface of the compo and thetop sealing face of the container, thereby reducing to a minimumliability of injuring the compomaterial so that the cap may be readilyreused.-

Caps have heretofore been provided with. openings-or slots for thispurpose, but these have been of considerable size, which necessarilyweakened the skirt and so materially interfered with the holdingefliciency of the cap and the effective sealing of the container; but bythe present improvement. I am enabled to use a. mere slit inthecap,-which does not have the disadvantages referred to.

An object of the present invention is to. provide an improved vacuum capconstructed 1928. Serial No. 297,976.

to minimize the sealing composition required therefor.

Another object of the invention is to minimize the amount of compositionrequired in a rotary or screw cap, thereby reducing the cost thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very small slit in aclosure cap for releasing the vacuum to facilitate the removal of thecap.v

Another object of the invention is to provide a slit in the skirt of acap which does not materially weaken the cap .or interfere with itsholding efiiciency.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred V to herein will occur to one skilled in the art uponemployment of the invention in practice.

has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and isshown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification,wherein,'-

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section,

A preferredembodiment of the invention of this improved cap applied to acontainer;

I Fig; 2 is an under side view of the cap;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the cap applied to a container; andV F g. 4- is a perspective view of a portion of the cap, the severalviews being enlarged,

since theinv ention is capable of other embodiments, and that thephrase'ology which I employ is for the purpose of description and notoflimitation.

The shouldered container 2, usually ofi v glass, is provided withsuitable projections or divided threads 3 for, the reception of the cap,4, which comprises a top 5 and a depending skirt 6, the latter having abeaded or curled strengthening edge 7 and suitable strengtheningcorrugations 8, both of which have their useful purposes in a cap ofthis kind. The head 7 of the cap is provided in the present instance,with a plurality 0 locking lugs 9 of crescent shape for engagement withthe threads 3 of the container. Ordinarily the top 5 of the ca extendsoutwardly to the skirt, having su stantially the same diameter as theskirt, .thus leaving a considerable waste space, as 'w in Fig. 3,between the outer side wall I) of the container and the inner wall a ofthe skirt, into which the sealing composition flows-but which serves nouseful purpose, since the seal of the cap is only as wide as thethickness of the container wall at the mouth at of the container, andconsequently there is a considerable loss of compo, which, ashereinbefore stated, is expensive.

For the purpose of reducing the amount of com required and s0 avoidingthe waste thereo the top of the cap is joined to the skirt by an annularstep 10, which thus reduces the diameter of the top to practically orsubstantially the over-all diameter of the container mouth, this stepbein formed by a depending or rim portion 11 o the top and a horizontalor fiat inturned. flan e portion 12 of the skirt joined at right ang esto,each

other, the juncture point of these parts being located somewhat abovethetop of the container and the under sealing surface of the compo. Thisdepending annular rim portion 11 of the top or riser of the annularstep, together with an inwardly-inclined portion 13 of the to forms anannular recess 14 of about the thickness of the container wall intowhich the composition is placed, it being flowed thereinto so thatthisouter rim wall 11 not only protects the composition from injury, butlimits the amount that is flowed into the cap and reduces the amountrequired, since it is only where this composition engages the p to ofthe container that it is sealed.

or the purpose of releasing the vacuum,

I the skirt is provided with a mere slit 15;

. depressed, as at but, as it is essential that this slit be located atthe under sealing face of the compo and top face of the container, theinturned flange or horizontal step portion 12 of theskirt is 16, belowthe horizontal step thereby forming, as it were, a step within a stepand providin a closed wall casin 17 (Fig. 2) on the inside of the capwhic is provided with a slit 15 for the insertion of a suitable smalllshar instrument for releasing the vacuum this slit 15 being located atthe juncture point of the horizontal portion of the small or recessedstep and the depending rim portion of thetop, so that it is .in linewith the top face of the container and the. under face of the sealingcompo. The horizontal portion of the small step thus acts improvedconstruction also re as a rest or guide for the insertion of asharpinstrument, thereby insuring the proper insertion of the instrumentexactly between the top face of the container and the under face of thecompo and so preventing injury to the compo and permitting the 'cap tobe reused. This improved structure enables the cap to be rovided with amere'slit instead of an opening or slot of considerable size, so thatconsequently the skirt of the cap is not weakened, while the locationand construction'of this slit also insure the proper use of thereleasing instrumentality so as not to injure the compo so the cap canbe readil reused. The

uces to a minimum the amount of compo necessary to properly seal thecap, so that the advantages thus obtained are of considerable importancein the manufacture and use of millions of caps per day;

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a one-piecevacuum, lug-formed, rotary and reusable cap into which the compo may bereadily flowed, while the amount of compo required is mat-eriallyreduced, thus making for a more economical cap for efliciently sealingthe container, while at the same time I have provided a cap that can bereadily released without injury to the compo and without any weakeningof the skirt of the cap and which can be readily released quickly andefiiciently by the ordinary user.

As various changes may be made in the form, arrangement, andconstruction of the partsv of the ed without eparting from the s 'iritof the invention, it is to be understood t at all matter herein is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus explained the. nature of my said inventionand described away of con structing and using the same, although without attem ting toset forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modesof-its use I claim:

1. A rotary vacuum sealed cap comprising a top provided with a dependingrim portion forming an annular recess for the reception of a sealingmaterial, and a skirt having an inwardly extending flange portion joinedto said depending rim portion to form an anreferred embodimentillustratnular step, whereby the top of the cap is of lar step, wherebythe top of the cap is of materially less diameter than the skirt portionthereof resulting in a material saving in the sealing material, saidannular step having a depressed portion provided with a slit through thejuncture of said depressed portion and rim.

- 3.. A rotary vacuum sealed cap comprising a. top provided with adepending rim portion form ng an annular recess for the reception ofa.sealing material. and a skirt having an inwardly extending flangeportion joined to said depending rim portion to form an annular step,whereby the top of the cap is of materially less diameter than the skirtportion thereof result ng in a material saving in the sealing material,said flange portion of the skirt having a depressed portion forming acasing on the inside of the cap provided with a slit.

4. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim and said skirt having an annular inturnedsubstantially flat flange joined together within the skirt whereby thetop has less diameter than the skirt for the reception of a sealingmaterial within the rim of the top, said cap having a slit in thedepending rim of the cap and means adjacent thereto for guiding areleasinginstrumentality.

I 5. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim and said skirt having an annular, inturned flangejoined together within the skirt whereby the top has less diameter thanthe skirt for the reception of a sealing material within the rim of thetop, said cap having a slit in the depending rim of the cap locatedbelow the inturned flange of the skirt and in substantial alignment withthe top of the container,

6. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt provided with lookinglugs, said top having an annular depending rim and said skirt having anannular inturned flange joined together within the skirt whereby the stop has less diameter than the skirt for the reception of a sealingmaterial within the rim of the top, said cap having a slit in thedepending rim of the cap located below the inturned flange of the skirtand insubstantial alignment with th-e'top of the container.

7. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt provided with looking lugsand rein.- forcing corrugations, said top having an annular dependingrim and said skirt having an annular inturned flange joined togetherwithin the skirt whereby the top has less diameter than the skirt forthe reception of a sealing material within the rim of the top, said caphaving a slit in the depending rim of the cap located below the-inturnedflange of the skirt and in substantial alignment with the top of thecontainer.

8. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim and said skirt having an annular inturned flangejoined together within the skirt whereby the top has less diameter thanthe skirt for the reception of a sealing material within the rim of thetop, said rim and flange forming an annular step having a depressedrecessed portion provided with an opening at the juncture thereof withthe depending rim for the insertion of a releasing instrumentality.

9. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim and said skirt having an annular inturned flangejoined together within the skirt whereby the top has less diameter thanthe skirt -for the reception of a sealing material within the rim of thetop, said rim and flange forming an annular step having a depressedrecessed portion forming a casing on the interiorof the cap, said caphaving an opening at the lower portion of said dependingrim for thereception of a releasing instrumentality.

10. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim and said skirt having an annular inturned flangejoined together within the skirt whereby the top has less diameterthanthe skirt for the reception of a sealing material within the rim ofthe top, said rim and flange forming an annular step having a depressed11. closure cap comprising a top and a skirt o ned together below thetop of the cap and within the skirt by an annular step whereby the topof the cap has a diameter substantially coinciding with the overalldiameter of the container mouth, said annular step having a depressedrecessed portion forming a step within the annular step, said depressedrecessed portion having at the inner corner thereof a vacuum releasinginstrumentali'ty opening.

12. A closure for containers comprising a top having a depending rimportion forming an annular recess for the reception of a sealingmaterial, a skirt joined to said rim portion by an inturned horizontalflange, the juncture point of which is located above the top of thecontainer and the under side of the sealing face of the cap therebyforming an annular step whereby the top cf the cap has less diameterthan the diameter of the skirt, said inturned flange of the skirt havinga depressed recessed portion, the bottom wall of which is iocatedsubstantiaiiy in line with theunder sealing face of the container, saidcap having a'slit substantially in line with the bottom wall of saiddepressed portidn.

13. As an article of manufacture, a rotary vacuum sealing ca comprisinga top provided with a depen ing rim portionterminating substantially atthe top edge of the contamer when the cap is in sealing position andforming an annular recess for the reception of the sealing material inposition to engage the top of the container, an annular ring of sealingmaterial abutting said downwardly depending portion, and a skirt havingan inwardly extending flange portion substantially at the level of thetop of the container joined to said depending rim portion andperpendicular thereto to form a substantially resilient annular step,adapted to increase the efi'ectiveness of the seal whereby the top ofthe ca is of materially less diameter than the sklrt ortion thereofthereby resulting in a material saving in the width of the sealingmaterial.

14. A rotary vacuum sealing cap comprising atop provided with adepending rim portion terminating substantially at the level of the topof the container when the cap is in sealing position and forming anannular recess for the reception of a relatively thin sealing materialin position toengage the top of the container, an annular ring ofsealing material abutting said downwardly depending portion, and a skirthaving an inwardly extending flange portion joined to said depending rimportion to form an annular step, whereby the top of the cap is ofmaterially less diameter than the skirt portion thereof resulting in amaterial saving both in the width and thickness of the sealing material,said skirt having a slit therein adjacent said rim portion of the topadapted to, facilitate the breaking of the vacuum within the container.

15. A closure cap comprising a top and a skirt, said top having anannular depending rim terminating substantially at the level of the topof the container when the cap is in sealed position, and said skirthaving an annular inturned substantially flat flange joining the skirtand rim, and perpendicular thereto, to increase the effectiveness of theseal, whereby the top has less diameter than the skirt for the receptionof sealing material within the rim of the top and in positionto engagethe top of the container, thereby resulting in a material saving in thewidth of the sealing material.

the cap abuttin ing part adapte to form a seal on the to edge of acontainer, said downwardl exten ing part having a slit therein to factitate the removal of the cap from a container.

-17. As an article of manufacture, a rotary sealing ca1pl having a topportion and a de-- pending s 'rt, and having a downwardly extending partthe diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the skirt of thecap to form an abutment for the sealing material adapted to be flowedinto the cap and to decrease the width thereof, the length of saiddownwardl extending part being substantially equa to the thickness of te sealing material, and a ring of sealing material abutting saiddownwardly extendin part and fitting against the top portion 0 the capto engage and form a top edge seal on the containerr- 18. As an articleof manufacture, a rotary sealing ca having a cover portion and adepending s irt, and having a downwardly extending part the diameter ofwhich is smaller than the diameter of the skirt of the cap to form anabutment for the sealing material and to decrease the width thereof, thelength of said downwardly extending part being substantially equal tothe thickness of the sealing materiah'said ca having an aperture at thebottom of sa1d downwardly extending part to facilitate breaking thevacu- Signed at Brooklyn, N. Y., this 31st day of. July, 1928.

CHARLES HAMMER.

16. As an article of manufacture, a rotary sealing cap having a coverportion and a depending skirt, and having a downwardly extending partthe diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the skirt of thecap to form an annular step for the sealing material and to decrease thewidth thereof and to effeet a saving in sealing material, and a ringofsealing material adapted to be flowed into said downwardly extend-

